Mail Carriers Bitten by Dogs in California More Than Anywhere Else in U.S.
But ‘Santa Barbara County Residents Do a Really Good Job of Keeping Their Dogs Restrained,’ Says Postal Service Spokesperson
Though California has earned the unsavory celebrity of having the greatest number of dogs biting mail carriers in the United States for the sixth year in a row, Santa Barbara County stands apart. Only four mail persons were bitten, compared to 65 in Los Angeles and 727 statewide, in 2023.
Nonetheless, dog bites hurt. The Postal Service releases the dog-bite statistic annually to remind dog owners to keep their dogs indoors or on a leash when letter carriers make their rounds. Last year, more than 5,800 postal persons suffered from aggressive dogs. Their injuries can be costly to dog owners, as much as $64,000 per insurance claim, according to the USPS, and sometimes result in mail being held at the local post office.
Santa Barbara County’s dogs bit about the same number of postal carriers last year, and USPS spokesperson Mieko Patton attributed the low number of dog bites to dog owner actions: “Santa Barbara County residents do a really good job of keeping their dogs restrained while letter carriers deliver the mail.”
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